Surmounting The Challenge

It is interesting to note that although when the people approached Shmuel the prophet to appoint a king he was upset nonetheless there is a mitzvah to have a king. There seems to be a paradoxical situation where we shouldn’t have it yet if we do, then it’s a mitzvah. Furthermore, the Talmud states that there were three mitzvos that we were commanded to do when we entered into the Land of Israel.

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Where It’s All At

We are prohibited from offering sacrifices randomly wherever we want. We must bring them to the Beis Hamikdash and offer them on the altar that is specifically prepared for that role. Chasam Sofer quotes his Rebbe, the Hafla’ah, who explains that this an allusion to the Sanhedrin, the ‘think tank’ of the nation where the greatest Talmudic scholars gathered and rendered their halachic decision which define our nation’s very character.

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Praiseworthy

The parsha discusses the many attributes of Hashem. One is that He is our praise. Does that mean that we should praise Him or is there another meaning to this verse? Netziv cites the Talmud that the great Sage Rabbi Elazar ben Pedas was very engrossed in learning. Therefore, when he left the upper marketplace in Tzipori and trekked down to the lower area, his robe was still entangled in the upper area.

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The Ultimate Connection

Shabbos connects us with Hashem as we focus on the creation of the universe from a total nothing to what it is now, full of galaxies, super novas, our solar system, the incredible resources that we have available to us on this planet and the myriad types of creatures that populate the world. We are the recipients of wonderful gifts that abound all around us.

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The Best Offense Is A Good Defense

To state that we are living in precarious times would be the understatement of the century. The events that occur on a daily basis are obscure and although we place our trust in Hashem that His plan is only for our good, we shudder often at what we are viewing. Political unrest, governmental breakdown at the highest levels, a total lack of respect for the truth, corruption amongst our investigative organizations and the list continues to grow.

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Clearing The Way

Moshe commanded Pinchas to wage battle against Midian to revenge Hashem’s honor. The Midianite women caused many of the men to sin and therefore avenging their act of criminality was uppermost in the mind of Moshe. Pinchas who initially acted against them when he killed Zimri who had taken the Midianite princess, was tasked with this sacred mission.

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The Aftermath

Moshe did not merit to enter into the Land of Israel due to his error in striking the stone instead of learning Torah by it which would have created a stream of water flowing from within it. Ahron also was prohibited from entering on account of the same incident. However, Ahron did have the pleasure of witnessing the transmission to the next generation of his honorable position as the High Priest.

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Seeing Is Believing

It had been a long journey, 40 years in the desert. They were protected by the clouds that hovered over them and fed the manna which had the taste of anything they wanted and they drank to their hearts’ desire from the traveling well. Their clothing did not wear out and their bodies maintained a high level of hygiene. What more could anyone want?

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The Ultimate Sacrifice

When we observe the actions of people of eminent stature and witness their massive errors, it is difficult to perceive how they were so mistaken. Yet, it is incumbent upon us, the later generations to gear up and attempt to clarify that which is seemingly beyond our scope. Korach was one of the greats of his generation.

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The Upheavel

Although the Golden Calf remains an ignominious blemish on our resume, nonetheless, the debacle of the spies certainly left an indelible historical blotch. We were poised to enter into the Land of Israel and it is clear from the Midrashim that we would not have even needed weaponry to dispatch the enemy from the land.

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